Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-22
ABOUT BUSTLES.
A CONVENIENT ARTICLE TO
TRAVEL WITH.
of the Inspectresses on the
Custom Wharves.
Providence Jonrnall

OF new 1ork Tor European steamer ana
you will find her, not in the singular, but
in the plural number. In former years
it was an easy matter to rush through
few (?) presents, fifty or 50. Now, with
the event of women on the docks as in
spectresses, 4 sad change has come DER the
| spirit of the fair travellers dream. These
inspectresses are twenty-three in number,
under the charge of Mrs. Mary f. Will
Jams, chief of the bureau. They range in
age from Is years to that point where wo-
men stop having birthdays. Their hours
at the Barge Office on the Battery are
from 9 and 7 A. NJ. on alternate weeks, to
P. M. At this season they are rushed,
Sunday being the busiest day. A COM
| petitive civil service examination, such as
any pupil in the upper grammar grades
| could pass, secures position and a salary
of $93 month. When a vessel is sighted
off Fire Island its arrival is wired to the
Barge Office. At the Narrows the Custom
House officials board the great steamer,
and others, with the inspectresses, prepare
to meet her when safely tied to her land
ing. At one end of the gorgeously fitted
up saloon, the men in brass buttons and
white caps with gilt insignia, seat them
selves, and in Indian file the passengers
come up to the impromptu desks.
'Gour name p asks the officer.
81. Helene Jones'" So much is honest.
alone or with an escort ?"
Here comes the rub. If unattended, her
ladyship must submit to the hundred ewes
of the female Argus detailed to inspect the
luggage OF ladies travelling alone If with
4 gentleman this is avoided, and although
she has tramped all over the continent.
and bought from every shop in London
and Paris without aid, the result Just be-
ing pulled up from the hold of the ship, at
the present moment she finds male protec-
ton most desirable thing Her answer.
truthtully or no. goes down, and the next
interrogation is regarding the number of
trunks, boxes parcels and packages. They
must all be enumerated big box, little
box, bandbox and bundle"
'Dutiable or non-dutiable?" she is asked.
Nine cases out Of ten she smilingly SAYS
she has nothing at all upon which duty
can be charged-in her judgment Subse-
quent events prove that differences of
opinion still exist in this cold, cruel world,
where an unleeling Government persists in
levying tax on female .triperie. Made
moiselle is then passed to the man oppo-
site and signs this paper. She has thus
sworn to possessing no dutiable articles.
If squeamish, she may reply that she has a
few trifies, and is asked to name them and
place upon these valuation. Seldom is
the true cost given. and often sales billsare
produced Kindly arranged by parties
across, substantiating her statements
The questioning closes with a number
handed her on a check corresponding to
that on her sworn deposition. With it
goes a printed circular informing one
bribery is punishable. The steamer
reaches her pier.
Mile. Jones in new seal Jacket and
Partisan bonnet, brings down numberless
small parcels, her steward, gracious under
final tip, in the rear with portmanteau.
rugs and umbrellas. She embraces waiting
admirers, announces she had perfectly
lovely time; actually gained sixteen
pounds p this last fact corroborated by an
apparent increase in volume and weight.
Somehow her dreSs-improver has swelled,
but she accounts for this as the very latest
from Regent-strect fashion models. But
keys are called for. She is most voluble.
too much so for the cool miss in ulster now
controlling all belongings To the hand
bag first dives the woman official. Nothing
there. Her steamer trunk. Also empty.
void Of anything suspicious. although
night-dreSs case is poked into, and toilet
bag and boxes ditto. Still nihil Rugs, fur
cloak and umbrellas are opened. Miss Jones
started with none; she now carries four of
recent make. They pass. A second kew
opens huge Saratoga and each tray comes
under inspection. There is much head
gear, suspiciously new, but it goes as per
sonal belongings. Lingerie comes under
inspection, but it also passes. Dresses of
late make are tossed aside and into each
corner go the quick hands. All! Some.
thing is struck Out it comes in i.fy.
Cover torn of, and through the packing
comes a pair of lovely vases. These are
quietly laid aside. During this the owner
is all the time giving information, histor-
ical, of the cause and origin of each ar.
ticle. But Miss lnspectress is cooler than
the traditional cucumber.
Another trunk is unstrapped and I'M
locked. Dresses, dresses everywhere, some
but quarter made and one of dimensions
twice Mile. J. Helenc's size The keen
eye of the examiner observes this and the
garment goes ON top of the box, followed
by gentlemen's macintosh, and latter
lamp in royal Worcester, the vase of the
lamp stuffed with lace. Gloves are plenty.
but give way to a silk skirt. On the prin-
ciple set thief to catch 4 thief put
4 woman to fathom a womans ways and YOU
need not be surprise to sec the inspectress
hold up the skirt to the light, rip open
one of the cores andshow round after round
of heavy Jet stitched inside The pile is
now of goodly size, its owner tearfully ex-
claiming: Its shame; they're only
presents from friends in England !" But
the inspectress heeds her not but goes for
the appraisemcnt with the deposition,
which she has all the time held in her
hand. Mile. Jones begins to breath easy.
Politely she is asked to place Il value upon
the goods and she does so. Just as she is
shaking hands with herself and wondering
if she will have enough left in her porte
monnaie to put up at the Brunswick or the
Fifth Avenue she is invited into a room
on the dock. Farewell to sweet delusive
hope? Pandora never left it in the box to
be so cruelty crushed.
personal examination shows silk pet
ticoats with braid and bullion, and lace
ornamentation. Her pockets, jewelry by
the yard, and in her back hair, when I'M
bound, are found two shining diamonds.
The anatomy of the hustle should be reeds
or springs with tiny cushion of hair.
But hers is piece of velvet which she
could not duplicate in the States, and a
scissors thrust in the cushion stabs three
meerschaum pipes! Behold her shorn and
in floods of tears. She calls a cab, or some
one does for her, pays the duty ON her little
pile, amounting to about three-fourths of
their real worth, and loses what has been
taken from her person. The next day she
writes to some New York paper anathe-
matizing the Government, protective
tariff, and thinks she has done nothing at
all illegal.
The goods taken Sunday last from a Bos-
ton dressmaker on the La Gascogne from
Paris, when spread out at the Laight
street public stores, made display daz-
zling to the eyes. They were packed
most adroitly, and the whole evidently
previously arranged plan with the gentle
man acting as temporary friend in time of
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